Town’s oldest resident; active in Saint Benedict Center
Rita Lombardi. (Courtesy photo)
Rita H. Lombardi, 102, died peacefully at home on Tuesday, July 6, 2021. She was preceded in death by her beloved husband of 67 years, Anthony J. Lombardi Sr. She is survived by three children, Margaret Hood and husband Robert of Harvard, with whom she lived; Vincent D. Lombardi of Worcester; and Brother Matthew Lombardi, MICM, of Still River. She also leaves her son-in-law Robert Kimmerle of Evanston, Illinois, and daughter-in-law Claire Lombardi of Marblehead. Rita is survived by 25 grandchildren, 45 great-grandchildren, seven great-great-grandchildren, numerous nieces, nephews, and extended family members. She is predeceased by three children, Anita Kimmerle, Anthony J. Lombardi Jr., and Peter T. Lombardi; and four siblings, Sister Marie Noel Langan, O.P., Frances Langan, Thomas Langan, and John Langan.
Daughter of the late Thomas and Anna (McCadden) Langan, Rita was born in Stewart Manor, New York, and was a graduate of the Sewanka High School Class of 1937. She worked as a clerk for G.M. Bradford Advertising in New York City before eventually settling in Wyckoff, New Jersey, where she and her husband Anthony raised their six children. Always actively involved in the many parishes and communities where she resided, Rita became the first woman to run for county clerk on a pro-life ticket in Westchester, New York. A woman of great faith and a daily communicant, Rita enjoyed many years as a Saint Benedict Third Order member of the Slaves of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. She volunteered at the Saint Benedict Center gift shop well into her 90s and remained a devout member of the Universal Living Rosary Association. On May 5, 2018, Rita was honored at Town Meeting as Harvard’s oldest resident, a title she embraced until the day of her passing. She was affectionately known to so many as “Nana” and was the proud matriarch to generations of her loving family.
